Do voter ID laws suppress turnout, or is that charge unjustified?

One group says the laws do prevent people from voting, even though turnout for the latest state election was higher than normal. As the AP reported,

“Civil rights activists accused Texas officials Monday of not enforcing laws designed to drive voter turnout, while records show that if the first elections under the state’s new voter ID law angered or confused many people, they’ve not complained to the state in force.

“A report from the Texas Civil Rights Project shifted the dispute over voting rights from whether people would be turned away on Election Day to whether residents are given enough opportunities to simply register to vote. The Austin-based group said a survey of public schools showed districts failed to give eligible students voter registration forms at least twice a year as required by law. It also accuses the state of doing little to promote voter registration opportunities.

” … Republicans have rebuffed criticism of the law’s potential to disenfranchise by pointing to higher-than-typical turnout last month for an off-year election. Data from state elections officials indicate the state hasn’t been inundated by complaints, either.”

Whaddya think?

— Voter suppression or not?

— Should cities or counties hold special voter registration drives to balance the requirements of the voter ID law?